Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Gentle Yoalberta’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Gentle Yoalberta’, characterized by its compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; medium-sized decorative-type inflorescences with quill-shaped ray florets; light bronze-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering in early October in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Gentle Yoalberta’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Gentle Yoalberta’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yoalberta, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,810. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the cultivar Yoalberta in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in December, 2001. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floret color and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since February, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Gentle Yoalberta has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Gentle Yoalberta’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Gentle Yoalberta’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Medium-sized decorative-type inflorescences with quill-shaped         ray florets.     -   5. Light bronze-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in early October in the Northern         Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent, the cultivar Yoalberta, primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Yoalberta had darker bronze-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum were shorter and flowered about two days later than plants of the cultivar Yoalberta when grown under natural season conditions.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yellow Sarah, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,804. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yellow Sarah in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were fuller and denser than         plants of the cultivar Yellow Sarah.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more freely and         uniformly flowering than plants of the cultivar Yellow Sarah.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Yellow Sarah.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yellow Sarah         differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar         Yellow Sarah had yellow-colored ray florets.     -   5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about five days         later than plants of the cultivar Yellow Sarah when grown under         natural season conditions.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Gedi Two Cas, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,428. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Gedi Two Cas in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were taller and more upright         than plants of the cultivar Gedi Two Cas.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more         bronze/less coral in color and retained good coloration for two         weeks longer than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Gedi Two         Cas.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had fewer disc florets per         inflorescence than plants of the cultivar Gedi Two Cas.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three weeks         later than plants of the cultivar Gedi Two Cas when grown under         natural season conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Gentle Yoalberta’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Gentle Yoalberta’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. Rooted cuttings were planted in 15.25-cm containers, grown under artificial long day conditions (four-hour night interruption) and pinched about ten days later. About ten days after the pinch, plants were then exposed to artificial short day conditions (11.5 hours light) until flowering. During the production of the plants, temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 38° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

Plants in the accompanying photographs are approximately three months of age.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Gentle     Yoalberta. -   Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the     Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yoalberta, disclosed in U.S. Plant     Pat. No. 13,810. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten to twelve days             at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous             decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with             mounded crown. Stems initially upright, then somewhat             outwardly spreading. Freely branching with about six primary             branches with secondary lateral branches potentially forming             at every node. Moderately vigorous to vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 21 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 28 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 17.5 cm. Diameter: About             5 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm. Aspect: Upright to             somewhat outwardly spreading. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             146A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 4.75 cm. Width: About 3.6 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base:             Mostly truncate with attenuate tendencies. Margin: Palmately             lobed, sinuses mostly divergent. Texture, upper surface:             Slightly pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent; veins             prominent. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage,             upper surface: Darker green than 147A. Developing and fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation,             upper surface: Darker green than 147A. Venation, lower             surface: Close to 147B. Petiole length: About 1.7 cm.             Petiole diameter: About 2.5 mm. Petiole color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             quill-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals             above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum. About nine             inflorescences per secondary lateral branch.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in early October in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             5 mm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): Close to 146A to more green than             147A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.6 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.7 cm. Disc diameter: About 2 mm; inconspicious.             Receptacle diameter: About 4.5 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Quill-shaped. Length: About 1.7 cm.             Width: About 2.5 mm. Corolla tube length: About 1.7 cm.             Corolla tube diameter: About 1 mm. Apex: Mostly emarginate.             Margin: Fused. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; satiny. Orientation: Initially upright, eventually             about 60° from vertical. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 175 in numerous whorls. Color: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 6A to 9A             faintly overlain with close to 46A. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 6A to 6B faintly underlain             with close to 46A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 3 mm.             Width, apex: About 1 mm. Width, base: About 1 mm. Number of             disc florets per inflorescence: About ten. Color: Immature:             Close to 9A. Mature: Apex: Close to 9A. Mid-section: Close             to 154D. Base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 22. Length:             About 7 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent.             Color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface:             Close to 146A to more green than 147A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 2.4 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 3.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: About 45° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to             12A. Amount of pollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 4 mm. Style             color: Close to 154A. Stigma color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from     0° C. to more than 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Gentle Yoalberta’, as illustrated and described. 